title: Endovascular treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with drug eluting microparticles (DC-Beads): CT evaluation of response to the treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of drug-eluting beads-transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), evaluating the response to the treatment after 1, 6, 12, and 24 months with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) comparing European Association for the study of the Liver (EASL) and modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 154 patients with uni- or multifocal HCC who underwent a DEB-TACE. A total of 278 HCC nodules were treated. CT follow-up was performed at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after the procedure according to the EASL and RECIST criteria evaluating overall target and target nodule response. We also analyzed the shrinking of nodules in relation to response to treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 278 nodules of HCC underwent TACE by using DC-Beads: At 24, months complete response was similar for EASL and RECIST criteria (112 vs. 121 nodules) with optimal accordance between methods and readers with k = 0.9. Partial Response resulted significantly different among the two methods within the first month, otherwise was similar after 24-month follow-up. Similar results in both methods were found for nodules classified as Stable Disease (P > 0.05). Progressive Disease results were similar in both the groups according to both the classification criteria without any significant difference (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed that EASL and mRECIST criteria are both effective methods for patient follow-up, however with some technical differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Unit, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boatta
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corona
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cannavale
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fanelli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cirelli
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Medici
keywords: Chemoembolization; computed tomography; hepatocellular carcinoma